


Twenty-Seven Bones

by Sirenidae



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Anger, Control Issues, Drifting, Explicit Language, F/M, Frustration, Gen, Minor Violence, One Shot, Prompt Fic, Short, Sparring, The Drift (Pacific Rim), Trust, Trust Issues, the Kwoon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-15
Updated: 2013-08-15
Packaged: 2017-12-23 13:25:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/926985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirenidae/pseuds/Sirenidae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During sparring practice in the Kwoon in the Vladivostok shatterdome, Sasha hurts her hand and Aleksis helps her out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Twenty-Seven Bones

**Author's Note:**

  * For [oelm](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=oelm).



> Takes place before they are married, but after they are partnered to be Jaeger pilots. They have completed a few trial Drifts together, but so far, nothing extraordinary has happened. Vladivostok shatterdome LOCCENT thinks they require a deeper bond of trust before either one can take it to the next level.
> 
> For tumblr user [oelm](http://oelm.tumblr.com) requesting from my [Pacific Rim Fic Prompt and Rec post](http://thebitchqueenofangmar.tumblr.com/post/58202833041/pacific-rim-fic-prompts-or-requests) on tumblr.
> 
> View original post [here](http://thebitchqueenofangmar.tumblr.com/post/58283561276/twenty-seven-bones-for-oelm).

The Kwoon Combat Room: plain, square, and violent, this was the place for all PPDC Rangers to hone their skills for piloting Jaegers. It was tinged by the smell of sweat and dried blood and the air always seemed hot, charged somehow, perhaps by the residual savage electricity of those who practiced within the Kwoon’s four walls. It was in this room where two particular Rangers were now practicing. One was a dyed blonde, tall and sturdy, a beautiful woman made of all power and skill. The other, her sparring partner, was tall, incredibly tall, dark haired, and built with a bone structure reminiscent of a bear. 

“Come on, Aleksis!” the woman yelled at the huge slab of a man who had just recently been flipped onto his back. “Fight harder, better!”

The big man, Aleksis, grunted non-verbally from where he was flat on his back, trying to regain control over his breath. Suddenly, he rolled quickly to his right, avoiding the crashing heel of the woman’s foot coming down onto the mat where his face had been.

“Sasha, hold it together,” someone said in a deep, raspy voice from one side of the Kwoon. “Don’t loose control”. The voice belonged to a short but imposing figure in military dress standing just outside the boundary of the training mats, watching the two Rangers spar. He was a balding man with various Russian military insignia decorating his epaulets and a PPDC patch retrofitted onto the left breast of his uniform. Sasha ignored the man as she spun on her left foot, the one that hadn’t just tried to break Aleksis’ nose. 

“We cannot be Drift compatible if you do not keep up with me!” Sasha yelled, taunting the tall man, watching as he struggled to his feet. She knew his weakness was anger and if she poked at him long enough, he would show her another opening to take him down again. The one thing Sasha did admire in her sparring partner was his stamina. It didn’t take much for him to get angry, but it took a whole lot of force to take him down physically. Sasha smirked as Aleksis reset his body in preparation to start again. 

As the two Rangers fought, the man in the heavily decorated military uniform watched the pair with trained eyes. Movement came at his elbow and he turned to see a skinny, pale K-Science technician wearing a white lab coat that made his skin look even paler by the light of the Kwoon. “Dr. Ivolgin, what’s the word?”

The doctor saluted to the military man trying to show respect. “Marshall Ulyashin, good afternoon.” The Marshall for the Vladivostok shatterdome wrinkled his nose trying not to show his distain too much: it wasn’t proper to salute indoors. The doctor didn’t notice and kept speaking. “How are the Cherno pilots doing? We want to run some more tests on them after this session.”

Marshall Ulyashin grunted and looked back out as Sasha avoided a punch from Aleksis, grabbing his wrist and using his weight against him as she pulled him into her hip and flipped him over again. The man landed on his back with an astonishingly loud thump. “How does it look like they’re doing?” Marshall Ulyashin asked with a ruthless grin. 

Dr. Ivolgin stammered. “She-she’s something, alright.”

“Something?” The Marshall interjected. “She’s brilliant. One of the best soldiers I’ve ever seen.”

Ivolgin clutched his clipboard to his chest as he watched Sasha send a roundhouse kick to Aleksis who turned his jaw away a second too late: taking the blow but not the full brunt of it. Ivolgin adjusted the collar of his lab coat nervously. He would hate to be on the receiving end of any of her kicks, he gulped watching as she came at Aleksis with a series of jabs, or her punches. “Sure, but what about Aleksis? He can take a hit I grant you, but there is something missing between the two.” Ivolgin consulted the notes on his clipboard. A series of neural graphs were stacked on top of each other with both Sasha and Aleksis’ names and rank on the corners of the pages. Ivolgin flipped through some of the reports. “There has to be some reason why they haven’t yet Drifted successfully together. Which makes no sense, by the way, that they haven’t. We’ve checked again and again and they are Drift compatible, but for some reason…” Dr. Ivolgin trailed off, unable to come up with an answer.

Marshall Ulyashin didn’t seem to share the doctor’s doubts. “Give them time, they will find common ground.” Aleksis got in several good punches to Sasha’s ribs and she cried out, more in frustration than in pain. 

Dr. Ivolgin pursed his lips. Although a K-Science doctor with a Ph.D. in neurophysics, Ivolgin was neither a patient man, nor a particularly tactful one. “We don’t  _have_  time, Marshall,” he said loudly, with a bit of a whine to his voice. “The Kaiju are still coming and we need more Jaeger pilots!”

“For god’s sake keep your voice down,” the Marshall said in a dangerously soft voice. “Show some restraint.” But the doctor wasn’t listening. 

“We need better Rangers than some  _female_  and her pet monster. We need real heroes, real soldiers ready to put their lives on the line and Drift together properly instead of just dicking around in combat training!” Silence met Dr. Ivolgin’s words. Several people in the Kwoon looked over to the doctor and the Marshall including Sasha and Aleksis who had paused in their fighting and were now staring at the pair of PPDC authority figures.

“What did you say about me, little man?” Sasha said from her spot on the floor. The Marshall noted that her hand was resting on Aleksis’ left forearm in a subconscious gesture of control and communication. He tried not to let a smile twitch at his lips. Maybe having this infuriating doctor meet him in the Kwoon was not such a bad idea after all.

“It’s a dialogue not a fight, you silly girl,” the doctor called out. “Don’t be so aggressive.”

Sasha’s face took on an oddly calm look then, as if she were trying to figure out a particularly puzzling riddle, while Aleksis’ in contrast was a deep red, his anger boiling right under his skin. “You shut the fuck up!” Aleksis yelled, unable to control his rage. “We’re doing the best we can and if you don’t like it, go fuck yourself. If you haven’t noticed, it’s the end of the world and we’re the only one’s you’ve got!”

Dr. Ivolgin smirked. “Well, that isn’t true at all, is it? We have plenty of other Jaeger pilot hopefuls just waiting for the change to drive Cherno with a lot more Drift compatibility than you two!” He yelled at the pair, pointing at them with a pen from his pocket.

Aleksis shook, his anger wound so tight within him it rendered him speechless. Sasha registered this, and took over. “Alright then, doc,” she said, taking the smallest of steps toward the doctor and the Marshall. Out of the corner of his eye, Aleksis noted the shift in her weight and relaxed, but only slightly. “Step onto the mat and you can be my pet monster for the day.” She licked her lips in an exaggerated fashion. Ivolgin took a step back, flashing a look of terror up at the Marshall who only shrugged. When neither Sasha nor Dr. Ivolgin said anything more, Marshall Ulyashin turned to the pair of training Rangers.

"Continue, if you please," he said, motioning for them to carry on demonstrating their hand-to-hand combat work. The Marshall and the doctor watched in silence as Sasha and Aleksis took to the task with renewed energy, placing kicks and punches to each other at speeds that made them look almost as if they were dancing. "United against a common enemy…" the Marshall muttered to himself, pleased with the immediate progress of the two Rangers. 

Ivolgin looked over at his colleague. “What?” he asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just a theory."

Out on the Kwoon mat, Sasha and Aleksis felt the change within themselves as well. Sasha was no longer attacking blindly and Aleksis was no longer completely in defense mode. Sasha was clearly still the leader, guiding Aleksis gracefully from one move to the next. If Sasha was the poise, Aleksis was the power and he matched her stroke for stroke, hit for hit, the pair twisted around each other, sensually and forcefully.

“I bet their neural readings would be off the charts right now,” Ivolgin muttered at the Marshall’s side. Ulyashin rolled his eyes at the doctor’s candor. Sasha dropped her shoulder and took a punch from Aleksis full on. They were out of sync, the Marshall realized. He narrowed his eyes, wondering what would happen next.

“Keep going, then!” Dr. Ivolgin yelled out, clearly trying to be helpful, but the effect fell flat. Sasha’s head snapped to the side, glaring at the doctor who just waved a fist in encouragement. Her distraction cost her another direct blow from Aleksis, this time landing on her jawline.

“Sorry!” Aleksis exclaimed, still in the moment and clearly not sorry at all. Sasha turned back to her opponent and her frown deepened as she carried over her annoyance with the doctor to Aleksis. She ducked as another blow came from one of her partner’s massive fists.

Straightening, Sasha backed off, circling him like a lioness would prey. “Why did you say that earlier?” she snapped at Aleksis. “Why did you tell him to shut up?”

Aleksis copied Sasha and stood straighter, coming out of the fighter’s crouch. Now he was paying attention and he was confused. “What? When? I was just saying… I don’t know I was angry!” he said, voice rising back to that same anger. He yelped, jumping back and Sasha darted in and then back out, feigning a hit to his chest. “What’s your problem?” he shouted at her. She remained watchful, a hunter.

“I don’t need you to stick up for me,” she said with a hiss to her voice. “I don’t want you to fight my battles.” 

Aleksis brought his hands up on either side of his body, palms out, communicating surrender. “That’s not what…”

Sasha jumped closer. “Fight me!” she roared, engaging him in combat. They resumed their combat but something was different. Gone was the synchronicity of their previous movements; gone was the grace, the effortlessness. It its stead was pure fury and raw emotion. “Fight me so we can Drift together and pilot that fucking Jaeger!” Sasha’s words ground out through clenched teeth.

On the other side of the mat, the Marshall’s eyebrows were raised. “She’s clearly annoyed that she can’t Drift with this man,” Dr. Ivolgin said, leaning in to mutter in Marshall’s Ulyashin ear. “Where that anger will get her, I don’t know.” The Marshall gritted his teeth and tried not to push the doctor away.

Sasha was charging, throwing a flurry of punches at Aleksis and forcing him to back up to the wall. “Fight me so we can kill Kaiju! Fight me so I can protect my brother!” Aleksis had been made to retreat so far that his back was now to the wall.

“You think I don’t want that too?” he managed to say before he saw her reel back, projecting her next punch. He moved his torso slightly to the left and dodged the blow. Sasha’s connected solidly with the concrete wall of the Kwoon behind him.

“дерьмо́!” Sasha yelled out, her voice rasping with pain. The room’s volume dipped as people turned to see what the commotion was about. “су́кин сын!” She clutched her hand to her chest, spitting violent oaths and swears at no one in particular. Aleksis was frozen, holding his heavily muscled body still as he watched the woman in front of him warily. Technically it wasn’t his fault that she had smashed her hand on the wall, but she may not see it that way.

“Sasha?” he asked tentatively. She held up a stern hand, cutting him off.

“Do not talk to me right now. I will punch you in the throat.”

“But…”

“Don’t!” Sasha walked away from Aleksis, crossing over their Kwonn practice mat and going over to the side where their water bottles and warm-ups were. Grabbing a water bottle, Sasha popped the top with her teeth and poured the cooling water over her hand. Suddenly, she sat down on one of the chairs, head bowed. She poured some more water over the back of her neck. Aleksis saw that her skin was ashen and walked over to her anyway, in spite of her previous warning.

“You’re really hurt, Sasha, let me help you.” He paused, waiting for her to either attack him or to give him permission. When she didn’t say anything, he moved in, kneeling down in front of her.

“Is she hurt?” the voice of Dr. Ivolgin called out from across the room. Aleksis turned to stare at the man, glaring at him until the doctor was blushing and mumbling half-formed excuses into his clipboard. The Marshall made as if to walk over to the pair but Aleksis caught his eye too, telling the man to stay away.

“Sasha, let me see your hand,” Aleksis said when he turned back to his partner. Slowly, she extended it out to him. 

“It’s broken,” she rasped. “I know it is.” Her head was still bowed but Aleksis could guess her expression. “I just need this so badly,” she continued. “I want to fight and I’m pissed off I can’t Drift with you.”

Aleksis was gingerly inspecting her knuckles, which were already blossoming with deep purple bruises. “We can Drift together, Sasha, all the tests say so,” he said gently uncurling her clenched fingers so her hand was held straight. She sucked in a hiss of pain and he paused, waiting before he went on. “We will get it, in time.” He took the water bottle from her other hand and poured what liquid was left over her knuckles.

Sasha let out a bitter laugh. “How can you be so angry one moment and then perfectly calm the next?” She shifted in the chair, sitting up and looking at Aleksis who just shrugged.

“One of my more wonderful traits,” he joked. She smiled thinly. “You’re going to have to get this looked at,” Aleksis said in a serious tone. Sasha groaned.

“And how long have I put us back in our training now?”

“Luckily, you can still practice-Drift, even with a busted hand. And you can train kicks and stuff.”

Sasha gave Aleksis and odd look. “Mother,” she finally said with a wicked grin. Aleksis smiled back, then his eyebrows came together as he grew serious once more.

“Would you like me to come with you to medical?” 

Sasha blinked. He was so serious in his offer that if Sasha hadn’t been in so much pain, she would have giggled at this sudden transformation. She adopted a similarly serious expression. “Yes,” she said gruffly. He missed that she was making fun of him.

“I’ll get someone to get our things later. Let’s walk there now. Can you walk?” Aleksis asked, standing and looking down at her with a worried expression.

Sasha let out a huff. “I can walk,” she snapped, standing and swallowing the nausea that accompanied her sudden movement. She was grateful when Aleksis didn’t mention anything although she guessed her face was probably bone white. The pair exited the Kwoon in silence, with many pairs of eyes watching them go. Marshall Ulyashin held the back of Dr. Ivolgin’s lab coat at Sasha and Aleksis passed but he needed have worried about the doctor saying anything, Ivolgin was too intimidated to speak around the pair anymore.

They were in medical for about an hour, doctors and nurses fussing over Sasha’s hand while Aleksis stood in the corner, arms crossed, looking down at the proceedings with his default expression of general annoyance. One of the doctors finally spoke up. “We’re just going to have to X-ray this, Lieutenant. It doesn’t take long but the developing takes time and we’ll have to get someone from radiology down here.” Sasha sighed and nodded, acquiescing to the process. It was only when X-ray machine was warming up that Aleksis left her side and went to wait in the hall. Sasha appeared about ten minutes later with a bandaged hand. Aleksis stood to attention.

“What? They aren’t putting you in a cast?”

Sasha smiled at how deep his frown was. “Not yet, the radiologist needs to still look at the X-rays first, in case I need surgery.” Sasha gave him a huge grin. “I punch hard.”

Aleksis finally loosened up. He returned a smile. “Proud of yourself?”

“Very.” Silence descended upon them, stretching between their bodies but it was full, full of subtle communications that always existed between those that were Drift compatible.

Aleksis sat down first, trying to get comfortable in the small chair just outside the X-ray room. He looked at Sasha and then down at the chair next to him. Sasha rolled her eyes then moved to sit in the chair he had indicated. “Fucking cock sucker!” Sasha cursed at her hand as she accidentally bumped it when she sat down.

Aleksis said, a smile tucked away in the corners of his mouth. “You have to stop swearing like that, you’re scaring away the nurses.

Sasha turned to punch him lightly in his bicep with her good hand. “Don’t tell me what to do,” she said through a smile. They waited there for another thirty minutes for the reading of Sasha’s X-rays to come back in comfortable silence. Soon, the rhythm of their breathing matched pace and slowed, with Sasha starting to fall asleep, her head resting gently on Aleksis’ shoulder. “You know,” Sasha said to him drowsily. “You’d look good as a blond, I think.” He smiled and knew that the next time they tested their Drift in Cherno, they would get it right.


End file.
